If you don’t have a verandah you may think that adding one to your house would cost far too much, but this is not necessarily so. It is possible to get a verandah on a budget and it does not need to look ‘cheap’. Much depends on the materials used, but labour is a big part of the cost also. Another thing that might bump up the cost is the location of patios or the verandah – that is, if it is at ground level or raised high off the ground. The ground level one is the cheaper, since it will not need as much material to provide support and it need not have balustrades. Here are some tips to reduce the cost of the verandah.

Use timber flooring if the verandah is above ground level. You may be able to access enough boards from a recycling centre.

Use a polished concrete finish if the floor is at ground level. This is low maintenance, strong and durable. It is also ideal if you use steel support posts.

Use roofing materials that have good spanning abilities to reduce the need for supporting framework. Steel is a good choice.